Composite excavating and earth distributing and levelling machine



A. S. KINSINGER March 12, 1957 2,784,507

COMPOSITE EXCAVATING AND EARTH DISTRIBUTING AND LEVELING MACHINE Filed 001.- 5, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTOR v 61mm;

W L ATTONEYY March 12, 1957 A. s. KINSINGER 2,784,507

COMPOSITE EXCAVATING AND EARTH DISTRIBUTING AND LEVELING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5. 19 50 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 12, 1957 A. s. KINSINGER 2,784,507 COMPOSITE EXCAVATING AND EARTH DISTRIBUTING AND LEVELING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1950 4 Shets-S heet a amp/110w c5:

INVENTOR Jami/ 40 A ATTRNEY United States Patent COMPOSITE EXCAVATIN G .AND @EARTH DIS- 'TRIBUTING AND LEVELLING MACHINE My invention relates "broadly to excavating machinery and more vparticularlyto a'trench digging and filling at- .tachment fortractors.

One .of the objects of my invention :isto provide an attachment for tractors of the general class set forth in my co-pendingapplication Serial Number 149,379 filed March 13, 1950 for Composite Excavating and'Pipe LayingMachine with provision for controlling the width of .the excavated trench and also for filling the trench after excavation and installation of cable, tile, pipe or conduit.

Another object of my invention is to provide an attachment for an .excavating tool for'tractors including a pair of wings which maybe adjusted to cut a deep narrow ditch immediately behind the'trench cut byithegexcavating tool.

Still another object of .myinvention is to provide an attachment for excavating tools comprising a pair of adjustable wings'which may be'utilized as a pusher by operating'the tractor in reversedirection after an excavation operation for fillingan open trench.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a composite excavating andfilling attachment for trench diggers adapted for the rapid installation of tile, cable, conduit and pipe in the earth.

Other and further objects of my'invention reside in the construction of adjustable wing attachment for trench diggers as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the wing attachment device for excavating tools arranged in accordance :With my invention; Fig. 2 is a view showing the juxtaposed positions of the parts of the wing attachment device .of my invention; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional :view takenisubstantially on line 3-3 *of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 7-7 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is a detail view showing more clearly the manner of attaching the brace bar which extends between the depending support for the digging tool and the frame of the attachment; Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 11-11 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a rear perspective view of the attachment of my invention showing the wings moved to minimum spacial relation and illustrating in dotted lines the maximum position to which the wings may be displaced; Fig. 13 is a view similar to the view shown in Fig. 12 but illustrating the wings moved to an intermediate spacial position; Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view through the wings and the mounting means therefor in accordance with the arrangement shown in Fig. 13; Fig. 15 illustrates the attachment of my invention used 2 in coaction with the excavating tool as a plow as the excavating'tool is advanced through the earth under pres- -sureforce developedbythe pull of thetractor; and Fig.

16is-a view illustrating the attachment of'my invention "used as'a pusher with the'tractor operating in a'reverse direction to the "direction 10f operation'represented in Fig.

15 forfilling a trenchafter an excavating operation.

My invention is directed to an attachment for excavating mahines which maybe utilized in a dual capacity; that is, as agplowin-elfecting the enlargement of a trench dug-by an excavating tool'for the layingof tile, pipe, conduit, orcable and which 'may also be utilized as a pushing "tool forfilling earth into an open trench after the excavating operation. I-provide a pair of-pivotally mounted wings which are attachableto the rear-of the excavating tool and which may be angularly adjusted to selected "spacial positions forenlarging a trench cut by the excavating tool as'the excavating tool is advanced through the earth. The same "spacially relatedwings are utilized in accordance with myinvention for filling and covering the excavated'trench with dirt byreversing the direction of movement of the tractorand using the wings as a pusher.

Referringto the drawings'in more detail, reference character 1 designatesa' frame structure terminating in quadrilaterally spaced lugs 2, 3, 4 and 5 for connection with the hydraulic lift of atractor. The frame structure 1 carries the centrally disposed Ibearn 6 having laterally extendingfiangeportions 6aand 6b. Theflangeportion 6b 'of I beam 6 is slotted adjacent opposite sides of the web ofthe I 'beamfor'the passage of-downwardly extending plate 'members-Tandfiwhich are secured by transversly extending bolt 9attheirupperends to the I beam 6 'and'which carry at :their 'lower extremities the cutting blade 10 and 'the front cuttingbar 1 1. The cutting blade 10' is supported by a block *1-2 which extends rearwardly of plates 7 and 8 and is provided with a vertically extending socket '14 therein adapted to detachably receive -the pintle "1'5 -of'-the pivoted wing assembly of the atta'chrnent of my invention. The 'pivoted wing assembly *is carried by a mounting'block 16 which is shaped to fit behindthe plates 7 and S and to enter therecesses 7a and 8a in plates 7 and 8 as shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2

' and 7. The mounting block 16 is provided with a pair of straps "shown at *17 and 18 at opposite sides thereof and-projecting forwardly therefrom and embracing the downwardlyextending plates 7 and 8 and the yoke-shaped end 19 of brace bar '20. The yoke-shaped end 19 of ibrace bar 20 fits immediately around depending plates 7 and 8 and beneath the plates 17 and 18. Aconfining bolt :member 21 extends through plate 17 and 18 and yoke 19 and through'theplates .7 andr8 for maintaining the several component parts inassembled relation. .(Brace bar 20 is provided with a yoke 22 at the upperrend thereof embracing the strap 23 through which the confining bolt 24 carried by yoke 22 extends. Bolt 24 is inserted after members 20 and 23 are brought into position to receive it. Strap 23 is welded at 2311 to the bottom flange 6b of I beam 6. Thus a substantial assembly is provided between the excavating tool, the frame 1 and the wing attachment for resisting the stresses encountered during excavating operations.

The attachment of my invention includes the two shaped wings 26 and 27 having vertically extending portions 26a and 27a and horizontally extending portions 261) and 27b. The forward peripheral edges of the wings 26 and 27 terminate in sections of a hinge represented at 26c and 270 which coact with alternately disposed hinge sections 16' and 16" carried by opposite peripheral edges of the mounting block 16. These coacting hinge sections are interconnected by hinge pintles 28 and 29 around which the wings 26 and 27 may be oriented to selected adjusted positions.

The mounting block 16 carries a rearward tapered extension 16' thereon projecting between the wings 26 and 27 in a plane that is substantially coplanar with the planes of the lowermost bars of the sets of parallel bars 33 and 34 and forming a connection plate for the links 31 and 32. The links 31 and 32 are pivoted at 31a and 32a with respect to plate 16". The pivotal connections 31a and 32a are constituted by bolt members which extend downwardly terminating in flat plate members 31a and 3211 as shown more particularly in Fig. 6. The flat plate members 31a and 32a extend below the lowermost bars of the sets of spaced parallel bars 33 and 34 and form tool engagement means enabling the bolt members to be readily gripped when detaching or attaching the bolt members. The outer extremities of links 31 and 32 extend between the spaced-parallel bars 33 and 34 carried by the inside plane-like walls of the wings 26 and 27. These sets of spaced parallel bars are provided with apertures in spaced positions along the lengths thereof as represented at 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d and 33e and at 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d and 34e.

The sets of spaced parallel bars 33 and 34 are welded to the vertically extending portions of the wings 26 and 27 and have their lowermost sections provided with angularly extending tapered projections 33 and 34f that are welded to the lowermost portions of'the wings 26 and 27 for substantially reinforcing the wings. The links may be moved to any of the positions provided by the apertures 33a-33e and 34a-34e and fixed in the selected positions by removable pins 35 and 36 which are secured in set positions by cotter pins. Fig. 12 shows the wings set for performing the function of a plow in the minimum spaced positions behind the excavating tool 10 with the links 31 and 32 in position. The wings may be further collapsed by removing or disconnecting links 31 and 32 whereupon the lowermost bars of the sets of parallel bars 33 and 34 move into edge to edge abutting relation with the opposite tapered edges of the coplanar tapered plate 16". The dotted line position shows the maximum spread for the wings.

Figs. 13 and 14 show the wings moved to an intermediate position with the links 31 and 32 fastened at 33c and 340 for determining the width of the trench that-is to be excavated behind the excavating tool, or the amount of fill desired to be moved when the wings are used as pushers.

Figs. 15 and 16 show the two alternate positions of the device of my invention. In Fig. 15 the wings are shown partially spread and operating as a plow behind the excavating tool 10 as a pressure force puller drawn by a tractor. In Fig. 16 the reverse operation is shown where the tractor moves in reverse to push the Wings which are spread to the desired width for pushing the dirt as the tractor moves and distributing the dirt back into an open trench. The effective spread of the wings is selected inaccordance with the width of the trench to be filled and leveled.

While I have described my invention in certain of its preferred embodiments which have been found to be particularly useful in operation, I realize that modifications may be made in details of construction and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

An attachment for excavating machines comprising a mounting block having major and minor axes with the major axis disposed in a substantially vertical plane, and rear spaced corner portions at opposite ends of the minor axis, hinge means mounted on both of the rear spaced corner portions of said block, a pair of plates having hinge means on their leading edges complementary to and connected with the hinge means on said block, a tapered plate member extending transversely of said block from v a width corresponding substantially to the distance between the spaced corner portions of said block to a width determining the minimum spread of said plates when in collapsed position, said plate member projecting rearwardly from said block along a-central axis coplanar with the minor axis of said block and intermediate each of said hinge means, linearly extending means carried by said plates in coplanaralignment with said tapered plate member, adjustable connection means extending between said plate member and said linearly extending means for adjusting and maintaining the angular relation of said plates and a bracing member integral with said linearly extending means and coextensive with the associated plate for reinforcing said plate with respect to the adjustable connection means extending to said plate member, said linearly extending means consisting of a pair of substantially parallel spaced bars connected with the rear surface of the associated plate and wherein said bracing member extends from the end of one of said bars in an angular direction away from said bar and is connected with the rear surface of the associated plate for reinforcing said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hall Feb. 7, 1854 115,629 Miner June 6, 1871 176,240 Oehrlein Apr. 18, 1876 193,019 Mettler et al July 10, 1877 302,661 Laree July 29, 1884 1,018,103 Ferguson Feb. 20, 1912 1,303,813 Brabandt May 13, 1919 1,324,691 Pirlot Dec. 9, 1919 1,651,031 Lindgren Nov. 29, 1927 2,662,311

Chattin Dec. 15, 1953 

